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Man accused of attacking Black teens in Monroe facing federal hate crime charges

Posted at 10:37 AM, Feb 11, 2021
and last updated 2021-03-30 19:03:53-04

MONROE, Mich. (WXYZ) — A 42-year-old Michigan man has been indicted for federal hate crimes after allegedly attacking Black teenagers in Monroe.

RELATED: Teen assaulted in racially-motivated attack; suspect's mother says 'My son is not racist'

Lee Mouat is charged with two counts of hate crime acts and is accused of willfully causing bodily injury to a Black teenager and attempting to cause bodily injury to another Black teenager through the use of a dangerous weapon.

According to an affidavit, Mouat allegedly confronted a group of Black teenagers, including the victim, at a state park in Monroe. Mouat reportedly repeatedly used racial slurs and said Black people had no right to use the public beach where the incident occurred.

He allegedly then struck one of the teens in the face with a bike lock, knocking out several of the victim's teeth and fracturing his jaw. According to the indictment, he also reportedly attempted to strike another teen with the bike lock.

If convicted, Mouat faces up to 10 years in prison for each count.